Slipped a disk in my back (i think?)

[Fixxah]

Don't stretch anything back related until you get a couple of opinions. After three L4-5 ops, I wish it on nobody except dems.

If you follow medical advice here you may regret it. No two cases are the same.

Think of your spine as a dozen jelly donuts. Now think of squeezing out the jelly and having it come out into the nerves that connect the lower body and organs. It is not something to take lightly.

Bodily function is affected and if you stand on your heels and can't lift one foot, therapy won't help. Don't get an adjustment at the chiropractor either.

 

[Fixxah]

An inversion table may be of help at a later date but pushing yourself now won't end well.

 

[Glockster30]

There's no such thing as a slipped disc. A herniation or bulge is the result of the disc being compressed in such a way as to cause a protrusion that impinges on your nerves which is what causes the type of pain which readily distinguishable from a garden variety strain.

Actually, there is a such a thing as a slipped disc. It's called Spondylolisthesis. It's caused by a fractured pars interarticularis part of the vertebrae, which causes the impacted disc to shift or slip forward of the disc below it. Depending on the severity of the fracture/slippage, it is classified as low- or high-grade slippage. High-grade slips are very painful - ask me how I know.

In addition to the slippage, I also had a bulging disc between the affected vertebrae. I coped with the pain for about 2 years doing PT off and on before I could no longer deal with it. Starting in the 3rd year, I began steroid injections every few months to alleviate the pain (along with PT). Eventually, 2 steroid injections in my back (for pain in both legs) were spaced apart about every 3 to 4 weeks. I did this for about 3-4 months before even these became useless.

Throughout all of this, I was petrified of having back surgery because of all the horror stories I heard, including my friend's mother was partially paralyzed on the right side of her body, but once I reached a point where I could not walk standing straight up, I finally opted for surgery. The doctor trimmed the bulging disc, did a Foraminotomy (widened the opening in the vertebrae where the nerve roots travel from the spinal cord), installed metal plates/screws and fused L3-L5 using 2 cadaver bones. This happened 6.5 years ago and I have been pain-free ever since, save for a twinge now and then. Within 6 weeks of surgery, I was back to swimming and back in the weight room about 6 months later.

I stopped doing barbell squats and only use machines now for squats. I cringe whenever I see someone at the gym doing incorrect squats and figure that unknowing to them, back surgery will be in their future.

Funny aside story, a couple of years ago, I started bleeding through the penis and began thinking about all the bad things (kidney disease/cancer or bladder cancer) because atypical cells were detected in my urine. The oncologist then ordered a FISH test (detects genetic abnormalities caused by cancer), which came up negative.

Long story short, the oncologist ordered x-rays and found that the cause of the bleeding was a small kidney stone that shifted and caused the bleeding. However, the x-ray also showed the metal in my back, which looked like a belt buckle on the x-ray, so the urologist was surprised and asked why the x-ray tech didn't have me remove my pants and belt. He was embarrassed after I told him it was the metal frame holding my back together.

 

[namedpipes]

Allah, if you aren't quite sure, you'll probably be fine, following the advice people have offered so far.

Just take it all seriously.

FYI, trying to carry a full trash can full of plaster is a good way to walk with a cane for a year or so.

 

[fshalor]

If you don't know or haven't been told what the "Mkenzie Maneuver" is. I'd suggest looking it up.

Kept me off pain meds completely and got me walking in a day when I effed up and threw out a disk.

Muscle relaxers interfere with healing and slow down the process and draw it out. I'm just starting the road to getting the muscles around the injury stronger.

Can't sit on floppy couches. Don't do any twists ever with load in your hands.

Don't do yoga twisty things.

My understanding is going in for surgery makes it a perminant problem. Some can be healed if you do the right thing and work on it for years. I'm following that path.

My main issue is whatever I did screwed with some muscles in my left hip. Those are now the biggest issue. They get mad and tight and then my back starts hurting on the opposite side. If I keep those muscles which were injured calm and loose, I'm good.

 

[Matt-CZ]

Did you actually hear or feel a pop?

If you did you might want to read up on your sacroiliac joints.

I had a bad fall skiing at age 28, my pelvis smacked onto a patch of solid ice and I entered a new era of SI joint-related pain. Lots of sciatica in the early years with very severe pain down the back of my right leg.

Big Medicine is very weak in treating lower back/pelvis related pain. Talk to your MD about sacroiliac joint instability and her eyes will glaze over as Big Medicine doesn't really think that's even a thing.

The golden rule imho is be conservative, be very, very conservative. Any kind of surgery is an absolute last resort. What has helped me most over the years is cutting out sugar, particularly HFCS, to reduce inflammation, prescription-strength NSAIDs, skeletal muscle relaxants and finding a good chiropractor.

I had something very similar to this. Was doing back squats and it was like someone flicked me in the lower back, no pain, just the lightest snap. Knew something was wrong and was able to rerack. 10 seconds later and my entire lower back went into spasm and then the pain hit. Things were so tight down there that one hips was noticeably higher than the other for a couple weeks.

I still have lots of pain and tightness from time to time in my right SI area. Actually get more when I don't exercise regularly. Sitting at a desk with bad posture really aggravates it. Working out seems to keep everything stretched out and strengthening the whole area seems to prevent re-injury. Strangely enough, deadlifts have never given me an issue, but squats are tough. Stretching out the glutes and whole hip area really helps.

I find that I have to concentrate when squatting to engage my glutes, otherwise my low back takes a beating. The cue "screw your feet into the floor" seems to work pretty well. It's not just getting your toes or knees out, but engaging that external rotation that engages the whole hip/glute area and takes load off the back and puts it on the muscles.

Took me about 3 months before I was "better".

 

[mibro]

Things were so tight down there that one hips was noticeably higher than the other for a couple weeks.

Very likely a rotated SI joint. Chiropractors have you lie down and compare leg length to help diagnose this. You don't actually have a longer leg but it sure feels like it when you walk after an SI joint rotation because your pelvis is now slightly asymmetric.

It's a shame chiropractic care gets so little respect as in the right hands it's insanely effective.

This guy - unfortunately in Australia - is a magician with the demeanor of a true healer.